Vegan Cucumber Yogurt Rice or Curd Rice
Yogurt Rice or curd rice is summer comfort food in India, and this vegan Cucumber Yogurt Rice with jalapenos is my delicious spin on an already delicious treat. Packed with tons of protein from tofu or cashew yogurt, with pockets of cooling green cucumber and crunchy nuts and lentils, this recipe is way healthier than anything you'd make with an animal product. A vegan, gluten-free recipe. Nuts are optional so can be nut-free.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 215kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup cucumbers (approx 2 medium or 1 large, finely chopped)
- 1 cup rice (uncooked. A long grain rice like basmati is great here, but a medium-grain rice would work too)
- 14 oz extra firm tofu (I used a sprouted tofu from Trader Joe's that I love, but use any brand)
- ½ cup nondairy milk
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil (any unflavored oil like avocado is fine here. Don't use olive oil)
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon urad dal (black gram dal. If nut-free, skip nuts and add 1 tablespoon of the dal,)
- 12-15 curry leaves (approx 2 sprigs)
- 1 large jalapeno pepper (deseeded and finely chopped. This is not at all hot, but if you want to, cut down to half a pepper)
- 2 tablespoon raw cashews (optional, but nice for crunch)
- 2 tablespoon peanuts (optional)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Place the chopped cucumbers in a colander with a bowl underneath to collect the juices. Sprinkle a little salt on the cucumbers and set aside for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, press down on the cucumbers to release their juices. Set the juices aside. This step helps you control the amount of liquid you add to the yogurt rice while not wasting all of the delicious flavor of the cucumbers.
- Cook the rice. You can use the microwave or, if cooking on the stovetop, bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add the rice, bring back to a boil, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Let the rice stand a few minutes before opening.
- Measure out the reserved cucumber juices in a half-cup measure and add enough nondairy milk to make a half cup. Place this in a blender along with the tofu and the lemon juice and blend into a very smooth paste. If using cashew yogurt, you can skip this step.
- Add the blended tofu to a bowl along with the cooked rice and cucumbers and mix well. If using cashew yogurt, add it now to the bowl with the rice and cucumbers and mix in the cucumber juices. You can add some nondairy milk if the rice is too dry. Your curd rice should have the consistency of a risotto-- a little runny and very creamy.
- Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the mustard seeds and, when they sputter, add the black gram lentils. Once they start to turn a light golden color, add the jalapenos and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds, then add the peanuts and cashew nuts if using. Saute until the nuts are lightly golden.
- Add the mustard seed-curry-leaf-nuts mixture to the bowl with the yogurt and rice and mix well. Add salt to taste.
- Serve at room temperature or cold.
Notes
If using tofu for your "yogurt", add more lemon juice if you like your yogurt tangier.
*See vegan cashew yogurt recipe here.
Nutrition
Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Potassium: 251mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 194IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 2mg